Rylee's First Birthday

This post is especially for you Grandma and Grandpa. I know I have been doing a poor job of keeping up with updates. So this post is especially for you two. We love you and miss you!

These are pictures of Rylee's first Birthday.

She got a tent that looks like a house that she can play in.

She got a toy vacuum, and a hot pink wagon and she got a bunch of stuff

from both of her Grandparents. She had so so much fun! It's crazy that is been over a year since she was born. Every minute has been hard but amazing at the same time.

Where is the Dandy Lion?

Usually, by this time of year, some of these are popping up around the flower beds. Haven't seen any so far - could we attribute this fact to the cold, snowy weather we continue to have? When we children were small, we used to pick them for Mother, disregarding the juice that ran from the stems and made our hands black and sticky. She would put them in a glass, sometimes slitting the stems so that we could watch them magically curl outward. (What makes them do that?) The tiny blue iris are blooming - my 3-year-old neighbor friend, Cayden, wanted to know why we had blue flowers. They do look somewhat forlorn, especially when it snows again, as it did on Wednesday night. I drove up Cub River to our quilt retreat yesterday morning, wishing I had taken my camera, because the snow was a very pretty sight, coating everything with magic. I was glad, however, to see it melted by yesterday afternoon. Perhaps spring will come, after all. We are waiting for those warm days when we can take some of our reading or sewing out to the patio to soak it all in, or to grub in the flower beds, or plant some of the early spring seeds. (I know, some of my friends have already planted their peas, radishes, etc., but these nights of frost deter me from being so ambitious.)

Hagerman, Idaho, and the hundreds of falls

Even though the weather was questionable, as we came home from Boise, we decided to turn south and go through the little farm communities that are along the Snake River. For quite a long ways, the river is bound on the north by the results of big lava flows, out of which flow an astonishing number of springs, creating magical waterfalls. Would have been nicer to see on a beautiful day, but it still was quite a sight. This is the scene you first see as you turn off of the freeway toward Buhl and then on to Hagerman and then Twin Falls.

Visitors in Boise

Our time in Boise was spent in a motel-hotel along the Boise River. The weather must have been perfect for these fowl who came in a curious manner up to our patio windows. A lone Canadian goose, who managed to get goodies from some of the walkers or joggers on the path along the river. Papa and Mama duck also spent time hanging out by our windows. Her coloring is not so spectacular as the drake, but the markings on her feathers are very well done.

Guests of the Wedding Reception and Later

Bethany - difficult to get a candid shot of this beautiful teenager, but I managed, after discarding about ten shots. She is classic! She is also very original, and oozes talent in the field of art. The paternal grandparents - Ron, bride Taylor, groom Denton, and Grandma Eliz. The other set of grandparents, Ken and Connie Cook with grandson Denton and new wife, Taylor. These are occasions that grandparents like to attend, to see beloved grandchildren off on the grand adventure of life that marriages are - probably lots of ups and downs and growth to be made as yet. They are so young and innocent - only they can determine their future life, as they work together. We do wish them the best.

The Wedding Reception

Denton and Taylor dance the first dance - after the cake fiasco. Taylor and Denton, Sonja and Kemp Arrilla, Taylor, denton, Sonja, Kemp, and Bethany - The reception was well-attended. Many friends of both Taylor and Denton made the trip to the reception, as well as family. Happy occasion for all concerned. We traveled to Boise on Friday to attend the reception that evening. What a challenge to be setting out on one of life's biggest adventures - better faced when young and optimistic. Life to be lived to the fullest.

Sawtooth Star for Denton and Taylor

The quilter very kindly sent me pictures of the quilt I've made for Denton and Taylor's wedding at the end of this month. I took it to Sue yesterday, and it's finished this morning. That means that if I get the quilt on Monday, I'll be able to get it bound in time for the wedding. I'm not too worried about Denton's seeing it on the blog before the day, because he's probably way too engrossed (twitterpated?) to think of looking on this blog. Denton told me that his bride-to-be liked pink and red, so I went with the pinks - Sister Louise sent me her book on construction of the quilt, and I began - only to be constantly interrupted by other responsibilities and a couple of cataract surgeries. The quilt was supposed to be simple, but didn't end out that way. Good experience? Always a joy when a quilt is finished, especially in time for a special event. Now, on to the big celebration in Boise later this month.

The Interminable Winter

After snowing light fluffy snow all night Thursday, the weather really got to work all day yesterday, leaving us with plenty to close out the month of February. This has been an extraordinarily long winter - the sundial above wears its cap of compacted snow with resignation. (The inscription under all that pile of snow is the old "Grow old along with me, The best is yet to be.") I took the pictures in the blue-cast gloom of the early morning light. The only slight break we can see in the gray sky is the little glow to the west. Even the yard light wears a little cap this morning. The house at the end of the cul-de-sac and across the street looks closer because I was loathe to put on my boots and get closer. Hurrah for telescopic lenses! Will the snow begin to melt? Did the groundhog see his shadow on Feb. 2nd? Will BYU win the ball game today? (I just threw that in, because that's how we'll be spending the middle part of the day - watching the game and eating homemade chicken noodle soup and maybe even popping popcorn.)

Forecast the Weather!

This weather globe was a gift from friends who purchased it in Billings, Montana. They forgot to give it to us for Christmas, but found it a little while ago. Ron performed the trick of filling it, following directions carefully. Now, we can tell when the weather is about to change. Lots of fun to look every day and watch the green water go up and down in the tube. When we had the bad wind and snowstorm on Tuesday afternoon and evening, the water was pushed clear up to the little fat bulb on the top of the tubing. Today? Cloudy overhead, and rising. (Remember, Mark Twain said something about people talking about the weather, but never doing anything about it.) We just watch - always a topic of conversation. Who would think that we would get so much fun out of a little object.

Does a Christmas Cactus Bloom at Christmas?

This plant bloomed the first part of December, and the show was over by Christmas. Now, it's chosen to bloom again. The plant is in a room where it is much neglected - only gets watered occasionally. It does get filtered light from the east, which it must like. So, now, when the days are often dull and gray and very cold, we have this bit of beautiful color to lighten our days. I'm so glad that God made flowers for us on this earth!

a Typical Night at Home

A typical night with Rylee involves us playing around, chilling on the floor (so I'm at her level, she hates it when I choose to sit on the couch I have to sit on the floor or she'll start screaming). Tonight I pulled out the camera and took pictures of us, she was extremely chill and mellow, it was kind of nice!

She's Growing Up to Fast!

Rylee has just been growing and growing, and it seems to be too fast. She is already walking, not very well but it is walking. She loves wearing her tu tu. Shes a lot of fun and sure keeps me busy! Wish her luck she gets tubes in her ears Friday Feb. 4th :(

Happy Birthday, Ron!

This has been a very fun birthday for Ron (and me, too). First came a box in the mail which was full of Snickerdoodles for Ron from his sister, Evie in Washington. Celebration continued last night, when we went to a friend's house to watch the BYU-CSU game. (Our satellite carries CBS-C and Versus sports stations, and they have MTN, so we trade off - our house or theirs.) Our friend, Leo, had baked Ron a birthday cake - chocolate with icing, so that was the first treat. At Church this morning, the Priesthood brethren sang "Happy Birthday to You" to him. We had a special steak dinner at home, and then the fun began. We have three families with little children in our cul-de-sac. First came the green-iced sugar cookies with the fun card that you see above. Clayton, who is the next-to-smartest boy in his first grade class(by this own admission), made the card with his little brother, Cayden. Next came neighbor Carolyn with a plate of iced cinnamon rolls with a candle in the middle and a card written by her two boys. Friend Nancy dropped by with two pieces of chocolate cake, and the neighborhood trio of Jayden, Logan, and Kennedy, brought a fantastic plate full of chocolate-iced cupcakes stacked like a cake, with a candle on the top. Oh, and the home teachers brought a plate of cookies. Wish you could all drop in and help us eat these treats. Cards and remembrances were all much appreciated. We are grateful for the warm feeling that family and friends brought to this special day!

Denton and Taylor

The picture was already on Facebook, so I purloined this picture of our grandson and his fiancee. Nice to look at - we know that Denton is special, so we assume that Taylor is, too.

I forgot to post this picture. I had taken clear back in August up in the bighorns, enjoy!